MORE Indie Invaders / POSTED BY: KINGSOFAR

As Linkin Park released their new album, Minutes To Midnight, a debate about re-invention arose in the KOAR camp. LP first hit in 2000 with the groundbreaking album Hybrid Theory. Although rap-rock was nothing new, they did it with a level of technical proficiency and originality the genre had never seen. By the time they released Meteora, they were established as a revolutionary band; one of the most creative and talented groups in mainstream rock. That was 4 years ago. Now, after going into the studio with Rick Rubin to ‘re-invent themselves,’ one can’t help but wonder why they’re fixing something that wasn’t broken.

The trouble that artists run into, especially those with a massive impact on pop culture, is that their sound is so closely associated with a time and place, staying true to what worked in the past may not work in the present or future. Artists in this position have 3 options: evolve, re-invent or call it a day. Of course, evolution is ideal. Fans who truly believe in an act want to know how much better the music can be when artists elaborate on what made them great and explore new corners of their potential previously unknown. Green Day, for example, surprised Dookie fans who thought they had a pop-punk formula by exploring anything and everything that tickled their musical fancy, even landing success with an acoustic ballad. Though their popularity waned temporarily over the years, they stuck to their guns and continued their evolution. The fans returned, bringing even more people with them, resulting in Green Day’s first #1 record in 2004. Green Day had the balls to redefine ‘3 chord punk’ and it paid off for them.

Linkin Park could have gone the way of Green Day, exploring what they’re really capable of and letting their musical curiosity lead them down a path of ingenuity, but they instead opted for re-invention. Madonna-style. Madonna has made her entire career on re-invention. The reason she is successful at it is because she operates in the pop world, where it’s here today and gone tomorrow. Constant change and endless marketing is crucial to achieving longevity for solo performers in the flash-in-the-pan world of Top 40. For most bands at that level, however, re-invention isn’t a realistic option. It can cheapen your past success and force you to lose relevance (e.g. Metallica).Â

The highly contested third option of ‘quitting‘ is not necessarily a bad thing. What’s wrong with stopping? It would be like if Clapton stuck with the Yardbirds or Peter Gabriel stayed in Genesis. Their individual legacy as musicians didn’t hinge on the success of one project, and it’s their collaborations with other great artists and involvment in a variety of projects that make their stories so rich and interesting. If Linkin Park never made another album after Meteora, would it have lessened their impact on rock music, or would it have been seen as going out on a high note? Would the individual members go on to create music with others that is just as important or even more so than what they made in Linkin Park? It’s never too late for that to happen, but is damage being done to the Linkin Park legacy by changing what the band is all about?

Evolution happens when natural musical instincts are followed down an unknown path. Re-invention is the conscious decision to change with a desired outcome in mind. Across the entirety of music, successful examples of both are plentiful, but the third option is not one to be overlooked. Ending one chapter allows a new one to begin. It’s evolution, but on the individual level rather than as a group. A group of creative people cannot be expected to travel down the same linear musical path indefinitely. There are twists and turns for every musician where numerous intersections and parallels should be allowed. Fear only stifles progress, so artists shouldn’t be afraid of where the unknown can take them.

AJ, KOAR

Twitter
Facebook
Newsletter
Recent Posts
  • LOVA Shines With Playful Confidence on “Leave It Beautiful”
  • Nate Amor Breathes New Life Into “Walking in Memphis” With Soulful, Heartfelt Grace
  • Winter Abel Unveils “Babel” — A Haunting Dive Into the Shadows of the Soul
  • Estella Dawn Channels Raw Emotion on Bold New Single “Reckless”
  • Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: Culture Clash or Cultural Progress?
  • Haley Grace Debuts With Heartfelt Single “Kiss Me Before You Go”
  • Braylin Bursts Onto the Scene With Debut Pop Single “Achoo”
  • Abbie Anne Unveils Emotional New Ballad Ladder Called Life
  • Alyssa Caroline drops new single “Fire To Ash”
  • Lauren Presley Channels Early Avril Lavigne on New Single “Trade Secrets
  • Komanii – Last Days of Summer EP
  • Natalie Shay Drops Uptempo Pop Single “Do u relate?”
  • Estella Dawn Stands Tall in New Single “I Like It Rough”
  • Angela Chambers Unleashes The Key, A Haunting Journey Through Toxic Love and Freedom
  • Carson Cruz Releases New Single “Private Fool”
  • “There Is Hope” Marks the New Release from Sassy Grace
  • New Artist Feanah Rose Releases First Single “Don’t Leave Me”
  • stella. Drops the new single “Heimlich”
  • Winter Andrews Releases “All That Glitters” Ahead of Debut Album ’til the moon fades away
  • Selina Gin Releases New Single Oh My Heart
  • Shelita Releases New Single Fade Ahead of Upcoming Album
  • Nick Howe Releases New Single Airplane Mode
  • Estella Dawn Reinvents “Skinny Love” with Cinematic Dark Pop Magic
  • Sisters Unveil Haunting Debut “Sweetness of Things”
  • Malachi Mize Brings Hope and Healing with Debut Single “Until Next Time”
  • Alanna A. Love Releases Debut Single “Running Away”
  • Jaya Kellogg Drops Addictive Debut Single “Background Noise”
  • SolyMar: gen.wav & KHR!S João Blend Latin Soul and Electro Vibes in Debut Collab Album
  • ZØYA Returns with Mid-Tempo Anthem of Strength and Self-Worth
  • Estella Dawn Drops First Original of the Year with “Move Down Lover”
  • Follow

    Home

         

    About

         

    Contact

         

    Daily Readership

    Copyright 2025 Kings of A&R     Website Design by PaleBird